Combine rhubarb and lentil in a pan, add water to cover by about 1 inch. Simmer until quite soft, 20-30 minutes.Meanwhile, in another pan, saute in oil the ginger, garlic, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, pepper, and chili. When the mustard seeds start popping all over the place, add this stuff to the rhubarb/lentils. Add salt, garnish with cilantro, serve.

Dan's note: Mark Bittman says you can add other vegetables, but don't add super-flavorful ones like turnips or beets because they overpower the flavor.

Break the pasta into thirds. Cook it. Grate the beets. Cut the cucumber into matchsticks, or maybe grate it (does grating a cucumber work?)... just get it into small thin pieces. Mix them.

Mix everything else. It will look like hell, thanks to the cinnamon floating on top. Now pour it over the solid food. Doesn't look like hell anymore, right? In fact, with the purple noodles and all, it actually looks pretty okay. Season to taste, garnish with your favorite garnish, serve with furious gusto.

Mix all grains together, rinse, drain, and put in a large thick-bottomed pot. Stir in the salt. Cover with water up to your knuckle - about two inches above the grains. Bring to a boil, then turn down flame as low as it will go. Cook uncovered (simmering) until all water is gone, about thirty-five minutes. If you overshot the amount of water you added and your grains cook before the water absorbs entirely, strain off the extra water.

This makes a big pot of mixed grains. Plenty for a family of four to use over the course of a week.Dan's note: it's true. This is a ton. I made a half recipe, and it's enough to last me forever.

Dan's Recipes

Despite the plethora of recipe software out there, the one that does what I want (tagging, text searching, and indefinite web hosting) is actually Blogger. So here I am. This is not a food blog so much as my recipe archive, which you're free to peruse if you like.